Support for a unit dose drug

Abstract

A support for a unit dose drug includes a relatively rigid planar body which is elongate in shape in a first direction and has a thickness which is relatively smaller in relation to a surface area. On one portion of the surface area is provided an accommodation area for a unit dose drug, which area is completely displaced to one side relative to a midline of the surface area, transverse of the first main direction. A hole is provided for hanging the drug support on a peg of a unit dose drug store.

1 . A support for a unit dose drug, comprising a relatively rigid planar body which is elongate in shape in a first direction and has a thickness which is relatively smaller in relation to a surface area, there being provided on one portion of said surface area an accommodation area for a unit dose drug, which area is completely displaced to one side relative to a transverse midline plane, transverse of said first main direction. 
     
     
         2 . A drug support according to  claim 1 , comprising at least one hole for hanging the drug support on a peg of a unit dose drug store. 
     
     
         3 . A drug support according to  claim 2 , in which the hole is arranged on the opposite side of the midline relative to the accommodation area for a unit dose drug. 
     
     
         4 . A drug support according to  claim 1 , in which, on the opposite side of the midline relative to the accommodation area for a unit dose drug are shown informative details about the drug, printed directly on the planar body or printed on a label attached to the planar body. 
     
     
         5 . A drug support according to  claim 1 , in which the accommodation area for a unit dose drug comprises a blister housing or recess in which the unit dose drug is placed, the blister housing or recess being covered by a cover flap which is attached to the planar body and is intended to be opened during use when extracting the unit dose drug from the support. 
     
     
         6 . A drug support according to  claim 5 , in which the blister housing or recess is integral with the planar body. 
     
     
         7 . A drug support according to  claim 5 , in which the blister housing or recess is a vessel body inserted in an opening of the planar body and comprising an edge zone attached to the planar body. 
     
     
         8 . A drug support according to  claim 5 , in which the blister housing or recess is a blister containing a unit dose drug with an edge zone attached to the planar body. 
     
     
         9 . A drug support according to  claim 5 , in which the cover flap is made integral with the planar body, one or more incisions defining at least the majority of the outline of the cover flap in order to provide predetermined breaking lines. 
     
     
         10 . A drug support according to  claim 9 , comprising an uninterrupted incision of a depth which is less than the thickness of the planar body. 
     
     
         11 . A drug support according to  claim 9 , comprising a discontinuous incision made up of a plurality of relatively long incision sections passing through the thickness of the planar body, alternating with relatively short unincised sections, the incision sections and the unincised sections forming a broken outline for breaking. 
     
     
         12 . A drug support according to  claim 1 , in which the cover flap is made integral with the planar body, comprising a continuous, open incision along a majority of a geometric profile, the zone of the planar body corresponding to the remaining minority of the geometric profile having an incision or precut in the manner of a plastic hinge, to facilitate bending of a tab of the material of the planar body acting as a cover flap of the blister housing or recess. 
     
     
         13 . A machine for manufacturing a drug support according to  claim 1  comprises a strip material feeder, a first cutting station for making a first incision in the strip, a store which contains the unit dose drugs contained in blisters, an attachment station for attaching the blister to the strip, a print station for printing details associated with the specific drug, a second cutting station for cutting the strip to the size corresponding to the planar body. 
     
     
         14 . A machine according to  claim 13 , in which the first cutting station comprises a laser cutting tool and the attachment station comprises an ultrasound attachment tool. 
     
     
         15 . A method for manufacturing a drug support according to  claim 1  comprising the following steps:
 feeding a strip material, 
 making a first incision in the strip in a first cutting station, 
 feeding unit dose drugs contained in blisters from a store, 
 attaching the blister to the strip in an attachment station, 
 printing details associated with the specific drug in a print station, 
 cutting the strip to the seize corresponding to the planar body in a second cutting station.